New tenants

Solitary bees have already made Saint Philip’s campus their home (in the ground in the labyrinth area) but now they will have a lovely house to visit. It hangs outside the main office doors on the southern facing wall.

This effort to attract solitary bees is part of Saint Philip’s Creation Care Ministry. If you would like to learn more and get involved, please contact the Chair, Erika Johnson, at erika.johnson06@gmail.com.

5 things to know about solitary bees

1. Solitary bees are non-agressive
   Because solitary bees do not have a store of honey to protect they are non-aggressive, meaning they are safe around pets and children. The males generally have no sting and the females will sting only if handled roughly or trod on. They are perfect, therefore, to welcome into gardens.

2. Solitary bees are pollinators which are responsible for around 1/3rd of all food humans eat
   Pollinators, including solitary bees, carry out a vital role in pollinating crops, flowers, and trees. In some parts of China, pollination is being undertaken by hand using paint brushes because there are no bees left to do it naturally.

3. Solitary bees are different from honey bees and bumble bees
   Solitary bees did not simply leave the hive and are now on their own. There are over 200 species of solitary bee and, as the name suggests, they live alone. (Although they do often nest close to one another.) They do not live in hives, have a queen, or produce honey.

4. They have a short—but busy—life cycle.
   Generally (across the species) solitary bees emerge from their nests in the spring. Males emerge first and, after feeding, they hang around the nest waiting for the females. Once mating is complete the males die fairly quickly.

   The females, on the other hand, will begin the process of nesting, selecting a suitable site, constructing the nest, and laying between 1 and 20 eggs. The eggs will hatch into larvae, which feed on pollen and nectar that the female has stored within each nest. The larvae develop and pupate, emerge the following spring (or later in the year depending on the species), and repeat the cycle.

5. Their habitat is under increasing threat
   Many factors contribute to the decline in solitary bee numbers, including the increased use of chemicals in farming, fewer wildflower meadows, and less suitable habitat generally.